The Essential Guide to ABB manufactures more types of flowmeters than any other manufacturer and is the

only manufacturer who can give totally unbiased advice as to which flowmeter is
suitable for a given application. This wall-chart details the major flow measurement
Process Flow Measurement
AdviseIT

AnalyzeIT
techniques ABB offers, their capabilities and their suitability for an application.
FieldIT

MeasureIT Electromagnetic Mass Vortex / Swirl Variable Area

Service: Electrically conductive liquids or slurries (>0.05µsec/cm). Coriolis Effect Thermal Vortex Shedding (Bluff body) Swirlmeter Service: Liquids and gases including steam (metal tube only).
OperateIT
Design Pressure: Up to 3600 psig (250 bar). Service: Liquids and slurries. Gas Service: Liquids and gases including steam. Liquids, gases and steam. Design Pressure: Up to 300 psig (20 bar) glass tube, up to 900 psig (64 bar)
Design Pressure: Up to 1400 psig (100 bar). Up to 560 psig (100 bar). Design Pressure: Up to 2400 psig (160 bar). Up to 1650 psig (110 bar). metal tube.
Design Temperature: Up to 360°F (180°C).
OptimizeIT
Design Temperature: Up to 360°F (180°C). Up to 570° F (300°C). Design Temperature: Up to 750°F (400°C). -40°F to 550°F (-40 to 280°C). Design Temperature: Up to 250°F (120°C) glass tube, up to 790°F (420°C) metal tube.
Flow Range: 4 cc/min to 1,100,000 gpm (240 cm3/h to
Flow Range: Up to 11,000 kg/min. Up to 900m3/h. Flow Range: 3 to 10, 586 gpm (0.4 to 2400m3/h) liquid; 0.3 to 6600 gpm (0.1 to 1800m3/h)
250,000m3/h). Flow Range: Liquids 0.01 cc/min to 530 gpm (0.6cm3/h to 120m3/h)
Up to 3 million kg/h (for DN 3000). 100 to 720,000 acfh (20,000m3/h) gases. liquid; 88 to 706,300 acfh (2.5 to
Scale: Linear. 20,000m3/h) gases. gases 0.3cc/min to 2000 scfm (5Ncm3/h to 3600 Nm3/h) gasses.
Scale: Linear. Linear.
Signal: Analog electronic; digital; Smart protocols; Scale: Linear at high Reynolds No. Linear at high and low Reynolds No. Scale: Linear.
Accuracy: ±0.15% of rate or better. ±1% of rate.
Bus protocols. Rangeability: 40:1 or better. 150:1 or better. Signal: Frequency or Analog electronic Pulse or analog output. Signal: Visual; electronic or analog.
Accuracy: up to ± 0.15% of rate: factory calibrated. End Connections: Threaded, Flanged, Sanitary Threaded, flanged, hose. Accuracy: ±0.75% of rate or better on liquid: ±0.5% of rate or better; liquids, Accuracy: ± 1.0% of rate to ± 10% of full scale
factory calibrated; ± 1% of rate on gas. gas or steam. depending on type, size, and calibration.
Rangeability: up to 1500:1. Sizes: 1/16” to 6” (1.5mm to 150mm). 1/8” to 10” (3mm to 250mm)
Probe available for pipes up to Rangeability: 20:1. 25:1 turn down average Rangeability: 5:1 to 12.1.
End Connections: Flanged, Sanitary, Wafer and
3000mm; bypass type available. (determined by size, application)
Screw Connections available. End Connections: Female pipe threaded, flanged or sanitary connections.
Advantages: Measures mass flow temperature Measures mass flow directly. End Connections: Flanged, Threaded, Wafer or Insert; Flanged.
Sizes: 1/25” to 120” (1mm to 3m) probe available. and fluid density directly. Very low pressure loss. also can be used as by-pass meter Sizes: Up to 4" (100mm) also used as a by-pass meter
Advantages: Universal industrial flowmeter for conductive liquids.Widely used in the water Handles difficult applications. Good for low velocity around mainline orifice. around a mainline orifice for larger pipe sizes.
industry for both clean and dirty water applications excellent for slurry measurements. gas measurement. Sizes: 1.2" to 12" (15mm to 300mm) 0.5" to 16" (15mm to 300mm). Advantages: Inexpensive; constant pressure drop; insensitive
Unit maybe calibrated (sampling and by-pass types available).
Unaffected by changes in fluid density viscosity; zero head loss; bi-directional; no flow to viscosity variations below
for any shape
obstruction; low voltage dc, battery and loop powered versions available. Advantages: No moving parts: suitable for wide No moving parts, 3 upstream pipe a given threshold; direct indicating; no power
of ducting.
variety of fluids: excellent combination diameters, ideal for light gases, required; can be direct mass device;
Limitations: Liquids or slurries only; required minimum electrical conductivity varies Limitations: Installation requirements vary with Affected by significant of price and performance. Direct works with entrained liquid. Direct
with manufacturer. manufacturer. Head loss may be high. coatings. no straight upstream piping required. Versions available with
steam mass flow. steam mass flow.
Sensitive to fluid pulsation. Care must Some designs PTFE liners.
Limitations: Straight piping required; sensitive to Limited viscosity range.
Partially Full Electromagnetic be taken with 2 phase flow. are fragile.
increasing viscosity below a given
Reynolds number.
Limitations: Requires accessories for data transmission; must be vertically
mounted: gas use requires minimum backpressure.
Service: Water and effluent duty in partially filled pipelines /channels
Direct alternative to high maintenance weirs and flumes
Design pressure: Up to 40 bar depending on liner / flange rating
Clean
Liquids
Dirty
Liquids
Corrosive
Liquids
Viscous
Liquids
Abrasive
Slurries
Fibrous
Slurries
Low Velocity
Flows
Vapor
or Gas
Hi Temp.
Service
Cryogenic
Service
Semi-filled
Pipes
Non-
Newtonians
Open
Channel
Ultrasonic
Design temperature: Up to 130°C depending on liner material Service: Natural Gas
Flow range: Up to 10 m/sec velocity Magnetic Design Pressure: Sensor up to 100 bar
Scale: Linear
Mass Coriolis Design Temperature: -25° to +85 ° C
Signal: Analogue / pulse / datalink / Fieldbus protocols
Flow Range: Up to 60 m/sec velocity
Accuracy: +/- 1% to +/- 5% of reading, dependent Thermal
Scale: Linear.
on fill level.
Oscillatory Vortex Shedding Signal: Analogue / pulse / datalink
Fill level limits: 10% to 100% of meter (15% to
100% of meter for DN150 size) Swirlmeter Accuracy: +/- 0.2% of rate for calibrated four path meter
Size range: DN150 to DN2000 End Connections: Flanged, ANSI or DIN
End connections: Flanged, ANSI or DIN (others on request) Turbine Sizes: DN100 (4") to DN400 (16")
Advantages: No additional pressure loss Ultrasonic Transit Time Advantages: High accuracy over wide turndown range
No moving parts No additional pressure loss
No maintenance requirements for most applications Differential Pressure Orifice Obstructionless design
Surface solids do not impede measurement accuracy
Venturi Bi-directional measurement
Low installation cost compared to open channel techniques
No moving parts
Limitations: Must be installed in downward slope of 0.5 to 5%; Minimum size 150mm Flow Nozzles & Tubes
ATEX version available for hazardous area use
Pilot Tubes Very low energy consumption - can be used
Level Metering for Weirs and Flumes with battery or solar power sources
Wedge
Service: Liquids in open channels. Limitations: Restricted size range; Clamp-on version not available.
Flow Range: From 1/2 gpm (0.1m3/h) and upward. Variable Area
Scale: Proportional to the measured head to the 3/2 power for rectangular and Weirs and Flumes Level
trapezoidal weirs and parshall flumes; proportional to the measured head to the
5/2 power for V-notch weirs. Flowmeter Applications Designed for this Service Normally applicable Applicable for this service under certain Not applicable
for this service conditions, consult manufacturer for this service
Signal: Analog electronic.
Accuracy: 1% to 5% full scale.
Rangeability: 75:1 rectangular, trapezoidal weirs, Parshall flumes; 50:1 V-notch weirs;
Palmer-Bowlus flumes 10:1.
Advantages: Ideal for water and waste flows, flumes have low head loss, low cost.
Limitations: Weirs are more accurate than flumes but require cleaning; flumes are
self cleaning.

Differential Pressure
Orifice Venturi Flow Nozzles and tubes Pitot Wedge
Service: Liquids and gases including steam. Liquids and gases including steam. Liquids and gases including steam. Liquids and gases. Liquids and gases. For technical advice and further
Design Pressure: Determined by transmitter. Determined by transmitter. Determined by transmitter. Determined by transmitter. Determined by transmitter.
Design Temperature: Determined by materials.
Flow Range: From 0.1 cc/min (0.1cm /m) and upward
3
Determined by materials.
From 5 gpm (1m /h) liquid; 20 scfm (30 Nm /h) gas;
3 3
Determined by materials.
From 5 gpm (1m /h) liquid; 20 scfm (30 Nm /h)
3 3
Determined by materials.
Determined by pipe size.
Determined by materials.
Determined by pipe size.
information on the ABB range of
Signal:
or gas equivalent.
Analog electronic or pneumatic.
and upward, determined by pipe size.
Analog electronic or pneumatic.
gas and upwards.
Analog electronic or pneumatic. Analog electronic or pneumatic. Analog electronic or pneumatic.
process flow products call:

0870 600 6122

Accuracy: ± 0.6% of max flow uncalibrated including ± 1% of max flow or better; uncalibrated ± 1%full scale including transmitter, ± 1% full scale or better including ± 0.5% of actual flow when operated in
transmitter; sizes smaller than 2” usually calibrated. including transmitter. flow calibration recommended. transmitter. the calibrated range.
Rangeability: 4:1 for given transmitter span setting. 4:1 for given transmitter span setting. 4:1 for given transmitter span setting. 4:1 for given transmitter 4:1 for given transmitter span setting.
End Connections: Mounts between flanges. Flanged. Flanged or mounted between flanges. span setting. Flanged or mounted between flanges.

or refer to the Assist Direct –

Sizes: Determined by pipe size. Up to 72” (1800mm) larger possible 3” to 48” (80mm to 1200mm). Insert probe. Up to 48” (1200mm).
Advantages: Easy-to-install; uses one transmitter Low permanent loss; good for slurries Economical, low permanent loss; uses Unlimited probe length. Very economical; easy-to-install; uses
regardless of pipesize; low cost; wide and dirty fluids; uses one transmitter one transmitter regardless of pipe size; Very low cost; uses one transmitter one transmitter regardless of pipe size;
variety of types and material available;
easy-to-change capacity.
regardless of pipe size. Extremely robust
construction.
nozzle commonly used for steam and
has higher capacity for same generated D P.
regardless of pipe size.
Averaging types available.
can be bi-directional; low pressure loss.
Minimum upstream Instrumentation Catalogue
Limitations: Uses eccentric orifices or segmental plates for very dirty Most expensive D P producer; Flow tubes lack extensive background data Doesn’t sample full stream; piping required.
liquids or slurries; quadrant orifice for viscous liquids; generally limited to air and compared to orifice plates; application limited accuracy. Low differential Not good for very
venturi, flow tube, pitot, or elbow taps to reduce energy water; big and heavy on viscous liquids limited. Calibration pressure for given flow rate. low velocity.
consumption; straight run of upstream and especially in larger recommended for optimum performance.
downstream piping required. Some fluid must leave pipe pipe sizes.
except when chemical seal protectors are used. Accuracy affected by wear.
Accuracy affected by wear.

visit us at www.abbiap.co.uk www.abb.co.uk/instrumentation ABB Limited, Howard Road, St Neots, Cambridgeshire, PE19 8EU, UK. Tel: 0870 600 6122
WP/FLWPRO Issue 1 (07.04)